Tag Archives: political instability in japan

PM Kan announces resignation and another leader of Japan bites the dust

James Jomo and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The Prime Minister of Japan, Naoto Kan, did the usual today because he announced that he would resign like he promised. This once more puts Japan in the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Simply put, the political system is a failure and sadly this nation is not seen to be serious when it comes to the echelon of the political system.

Not all blame can be put on the politicians. Frankly speaking, the media in Japan is woefully irresponsible on the whole because ridiculous polls and pressure are put on leaders in Japan all the time. Therefore, it is time to ban the media circus and political polls which are used in order to force political leaders to resign and the electorate should give political leaders a chance.

It is a complete fiasco and if the leader of America visited Japan tomorrow you would hear platitudes despite the economic and unemployment mess in this nation. Not picking on America, the same would happen to other political leaders where everything negative is ignored. However, when it comes to the leader of Japan it is rebuke, mock and “the leader must go” and this is irksome and irresponsible.

In the article written by Michel Le Bon and Lee Jay Walker titled Japan and the political farce: the race is on to replace PM Kan. They commented that “This international embarrassment is just that but nothing seems to change apart from rebuke, petty point scoring, political shenanigans, and rash decision making. In the past it was hoped that the Democratic Party of Japan would change elements of the political landscape. Instead, they have followed the Liberal Democratic Party and elect internally and resign without any elected mandate and of course both parties can’t find anyone strong enough to put either house in order.”

Therefore, Japan is going to have their sixth leader in five year – it is political suicide and grossly irresponsible. This begs the question, why don’t politicians, the media and the electorate care?

Of course, many people will be concerned but either they are the silent majority or they are people involved in the media and the political system who don’t have any power to change this wretched situation.

If Japan wants to be taken seriously then it is vital that the political system is changed in order to meet global standards where high office deals with important issues, irrespective if the times are good or bad.

Japan needs to wake up because frankly speaking this nation is an embarrassment when it comes to politics. Enough is enough, I wish, but I know that change isn’t around the corner and the same self-destruct political system will just continue and the media circus will be waiting for the next leader to make a mistake and everything will start all over again.

I know that Buddhism believes in reincarnation but you can’t reincarnate political leaders with high quality. Instead inferior individuals keep on getting their chance because the system allows it.